New Beginnings
by Riana Mustang
Summary: Layla and her friend Casey have been sent to the SW universe just in time to stop Maul from killing Qui-Gon. But have they truly won, or is something far more dangerous lurking in the shadows, waiting to destroy them? Updated, chapter 15 up finally!
1. Chapter one

New Beginnings  
Author: Celestia Vitaria  
Disclaimer: I don't own George Lucas' characters or Star Wars, though I wish I did. Although if George is willing to sell it to me...LOL!!! J/K! Nor do I make any money off of this. So please don't sue me!!! I have no money or anything of value. Any unrecognizable characters belong to me and my friend who so graciously helped me write this. (Casey belongs to my friend, Layla *a.k.a. Fox* and Aria belong to me. DO NOT STEAL OUR CHARACTERS! DO IT AND FACE OUR WRATH!!!)  
Summary: Just a strange little thing my friend and I came up with one day when we were bored. We get zapped into the Star Wars universe during TPM just in time to head to Naboo and change *that* scene *cough cough DENIAL*!!! QUI-GON SHOULDN'T HAVE DIED!!!!!! *ahem* Anyway, before I get *too* carried away...PLEASE R&R!!! I MEAN IT! DON'T MAKE ME BEG, B/C I WILL!!! And yes, I know something like this has already been done (i.e. ppl being zapped into the universe we all know & love) but this story is completely different!!! So nobody have a cow! Ok, I'll shut up now.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The snow fell silently outside, listlessly covering the world in a beautiful blanket of white. I watched it for a moment, then sighed and took another sip of my hot chocolate, turning my attention back to the television. I was watching The Phantom Menace for what must have been the ten-thousandth time since I'd bought it.  
  
Just then, I heard someone knocking on the front door. I set my glass down on the end table next to the sofa and put the movie on stop.  
  
"Come on in, Casey. The door is unlocked," I called.  
  
A moment later the front door opened and Casey walked in, shutting the door behind her. She had a small duffle bag slung over her shoulder, which she dropped unceremoniously on the floor in front of the couch as she sat down. I looked on curiously as she started to rummage through her bag.  
  
"What did you bring?" I asked after a minute, unable to bear the suspense any longer.  
  
"Ewan and Liam," she answered.  
  
"Oh, nu-uh! There's no way! Besides, isn't that bag of yours just a little too small?" I remarked.  
  
Casey only rolled her eyes and laughed at me. "Okay, now that was funny. No, I didn't actually bring them, though I wish I did," she said.  
  
I nodded my agreement and gave a dramatic sigh. "Yes, indeed. 'Tis such a horrible loss on their part. But perhaps someday their paths shall cross ours and all shall be right in the world," I declared jokingly, letting a rather convincing British accent seep into my voice.  
  
"Yeah, we wish, anyway," Casey said.  
  
"That's true. It could probably only happen in our twisted minds," I said.  
  
Casey gave me a mock-indignant look. "Hey, who are you calling twisted?" she asked.  
  
I shrugged. "Both of us, as in yourself included in that," I smirked.  
  
"You're nuts, Layla. You do realize that, right?" she shot back.  
  
I stuck my tongue out at her and was about to fire a comeback at her when I noticed that the room seemed to be getting brighter. Confused, I turned and saw a strange blue light starting to form.  
  
"Ummm, Casey?" I stammered fearfully, tapping her on the shoulder frantically to get her attention.  
  
"What?" she asked, looking up from rummaging in her bag again.  
  
My voice had caught in my throat by now, so instead I started gesturing wildly. Favoring me with a curious look, she turned and followed my gaze, her dark eyes widening in shock as she realized what was happening.  
  
"What the...?!" she blurted out just before an overly-bright flash of light blinded us both. A wave of dizziness flooded over me, and the next thing I knew, I had blacked out.  
  
When I finally came back to consciousness, I found myself in a different world, laying on a bed of some sort. I started to panic and tried to sit up, but someone pushed me back down gently into the pillow behind me.  
  
"Whoa, whoa. Lie still," said a kind female voice.  
  
By now my vision had cleared, but I was still disoriented and scared. Slowly I turned my head and nearly screamed when I saw the figure hovering over me. She was tall and slender of build, but her skin was a pale blue and instead of hair, she had two tail-like appendages protruding from the top of her head. She wore a light-colored tunic and pants, with a long, dark brown robe draping over them.  
  
"Where am I? Who are you?" I asked, almost dreading her response. I had the feeling I knew exactly what had happened, but I wasn't really sure that I wanted to hear the answer anyway.  
  
"You don't remember?" the woman asked, favoring me with a look of concern. When I shook my head, she sighed and smiled down at me sympathetically. "I'm Healer Aria. You're in the infirmary in the Jedi Temple. It was Master Jinn who brought you here. He said he found you and another girl out in the gardens, unconscious," she explained.  
  
I stared at her in pure shock, unable to speak for a long time. Finally I regained my voice. "Ummm, the Jedi Temple? Unconscious in the gardens? Master Jinn? As in Master Qui-Gon Jinn?" I stammered in utter disbelief as I tried to let what she had just told me sink in.  
  
Surely she couldn't be saying what I thought...no, hoped...she was saying. It just wasn't possible! Was it? But then again, if all of this was nothing more than merely a practical joke that someone was playing on us, not only was it not in the *least* bit amusing, but it was also a really cruel and very elaborate joke at that.  
  
"Yes, why do you ask?" Aria inquired, once again giving me a concerned look.  
  
"Oh. My. God. We did it. We actually did it. This is really happening," I gasped, only half aware that I had even spoken those words out loud.  
  
"Did what?" Aria asked, her brow now knitting together in confusion.  
  
But before I could offer some lame excuse, we heard a quiet moan from the other side of the room. I watched in silence as Aria moved to tend to the only other occupant in the room, who I quickly realized was Casey. After a moment, she opened her eyes, took one look at Aria, and completely freaked out. I sighed and rolled my eyes, shaking my head as I sat up.  
  
"Casey, calm down! It's all right!" I called to her.  
  
Calming down slightly, she turned to look at me. "Layla? Are you all right? What's going on here?" she asked, casting a wary glance at Aria.  
  
The aforementioned Healer merely stood there, staring at the two of us in what I could only figure to be total confusion. I had the distinct feeling that the woman was starting to lose her patience with us. Not that I could really say that I blamed her. I suppose that having two of your patients completely freak out on you as soon as they saw you would be enough to try even a Jedi Healer's patience.  
  
Finally I decided to take pity on her. "Ummm, can I talk to my friend alone for a moment? Nothing personal," I said.  
  
"Certainly. If either of you need anything, just call. I have some other patients that I need to check on," Aria agreed, taking her leave of us.  
  
As soon as Aria was out of earshot, Casey slid down from the bed that she had been laying on, steadying herself for a moment, apparently dizzyheaded from standing up too quickly. Then she walked over to me, the expression on her face demanding some kind of explanation to the situation that we were currently in. Answers that I most likely didn't have.   
  
"Okay, Layla. What is going on here? Where are we?" she asked.   
  
I sighed, and I suppose I must have looked really pitiful in that moment, because some of my friend's irritation faded from her dark brown eyes. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself before I spoke. I had absolutely no idea as to just how she was going to react to the news.  
  
"Well, ummm, I'm not really, entirely sure as to what exactly is going on. Yet. But what I do know from what Aria was telling me is that we're in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, in the infirmary. Oh, and it gets much better, trust me. Guess who found us out in the gardens, unconscious mind you, and brought us here? Get a load of this. Master Qui-Gon Jinn," I replied.  
  
Casey merely stared at me in stunned silence. Her jaw had dropped to the ground for a moment as she plopped down in a chair beside my bed. She shook her head, not speaking, and stared at the white tiled floor for a long time.  
  
It was then that I took stock of our appearances. Instead of the t-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes ensemble that we'd both had earlier, we now wore light tan-colored tunics and pants, and long, flowing dark brown robes over them. We both had lightsabers, not the fake ones that we had constructed a few months ago in a moment of sheer boredom, but the real things. Casey's dark hair was now close to shoulder-length, barely shorter than my own auburn curls, and we both sported the traditional Padawan braid.  
  
"This is impossible. It can't be really happening. It's all just a really strange dream, and I'm going to wake up any time now," Casey muttered quietly to herself, the words only half coherent as she finally turned her gaze up from the floor to look at me.  
  
"No, Casey. It's not a dream. We're really here. I mean, look at our clothes and the braids. And look, real lightsabers," I said.  
  
With that, I stood up somewhat shakily and unclipped the lightsaber from my belt. I backed away from Casey so I wouldn't hurt her and pressed the activation button. Seconds later, the magenta blade blazed into existence with a snap-hiss. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the quiet, eerie humming of the blade and that of our breathing. Casey and I both stared at it, transfixed.  
  
Finally Casey spoke, breaking the awkward silence that had inexplicably fallen in the air between us. "All right. So now what do we do?" she asked as I shut down the lightsaber and hooked it back onto my belt.  
  
I shrugged. "I don't know. The only thing I can think of that we can do really would be to find out if anyone saw anything strange and then take it from there. Maybe if someone knows how we got here, they can help us find a way to get back home," I replied, though I had no intention whatsoever of leaving this place.  
  
"I suppose you've got a point there, but the only person who might have actually seen anything would be Qui-Gon. How are we going to find him?" Casey pointed out.  
  
"Find who?" Aria asked as she came back into the room, having walked in on the last part of our conversation.  
  
"Master Jinn. We need to talk to him," I answered.  
  
"Well, I don't know if you'd be able to do that right now. I think he and Obi-Wan left a few minutes after they brought you here. If I remember correctly, they were going to accompany Queen Amidala back to Naboo," Aria explained.  
  
Casey and I exchanged horrified glances and went very pale. "Ummm, Naboo?" I stammered.  
  
"Yes, I believe so. Why? Are you both all right?"   
  
"Yeah. We're fine. Just out of curiosity, when are we being released?" Casey spoke up before I even got the chance to do so.  
  
Aria glanced at a small datapad in her hand. "Well, everything seems to be all right, so I guess you can go now," she said.  
  
"Thanks Aria. Come on, Casey. We've got to go. Now," I said, grabbing her arm and hurrying out of the infirmary.  
  
"Strange girls," I heard Aria mutter behind us as we left.  
  
Casey and I hurried down the Temple corridors, ignoring the ocassional stares that we got from passers-by. Finally Casey must have decided that she'd had enough of me practically dragging her around. She pulled her arm free from my grip and stopped, giving me and irritated glare as she crossed her arms over her chest. I, too, stopped and turned back to face her rather impatiently.  
  
"Casey, what's the matter? We're running a little short on time here, in case you haven't noticed," I remarked.  
  
"What? Short on time? Layla, what the Sith are you talking about?" Casey demanded, looking at me as though she thought I had just lost my mind. Perhaps I had.  
  
"What do you think, Casey? We have to get to Naboo and help them," I said impatiently, my hands resting on my hips and my chin lifted slightly in a gesture of defiance.  
  
Casey and I stood facing each other down in the hallway, our wills clashing in the silence. I knew she was only protesting to this because she was worried about us getting hurt or killed, but I was also too stubborn to back down. In my mind, I was doing the right thing, regardless of what Casey had in mind.  
  
Finally she spoke up. "What are you planning to do?" she asked, unable to keep the exasperation out of her tone.  
  
"I don't know about you, but I'll tell you what *I'm* going to do. I'm going to find the docking bay, get on a ship and go to Naboo," I said.  
  
"Layla, no. For one thing, neither one of us knows how to pilot a ship, and for another, you know just as well as I do that every time you come up with some cockamamie scheme like this, it always backfires on both of us," she protested.  
  
"Casey, don't you remember how we both said that if it were up to us, Qui-Gon never would have died? Well, now we have the chance to change things," I said.  
  
"This isn't even our world, Layla. What can we possibly do?" she pointed out.  
  
I sighed and turned away from her for a moment. "Maybe not, but I feel like I belong here," I muttered, finally turning back to face her. "But then, you have a family and a true home to go back to. I don't. I don't have anybody."  
  
She laid her hand gently on my arm. "Layla, you know that's not true. You have your friends," she said. "Why are you so eager to go and get yourself killed for someone that you don't even know and a world that's not even yours?"  
  
I pulled away from her roughly then, obviously having startled her, because she took an involuntary step backwards, eyeing me almost warily. My honey-colored eyes narrowed in an expression of grim determination as I glared at her.  
  
"I should have known you wouldn't understand. For one thing, I'm not going to go and get myself killed, and for another, I'm not going back, even if we do figure out a way out of here. It's time for me to move on, and this life is how I want to start again. If you don't want to come with me, then fine. Don't. Stay here if you want to. But make up your mind now, Cas, because I'm not going to stand idly by when I have the chance to prevent this whole thing from happening," I snapped angrily.  
  
Casey sighed. "Layla, please. Listen to me..." she started to say before I interrupted her.  
  
"No. I need to do this. Now are you in, or not?" I said.  
  
She fell silent, staring at the tiled floor for a long time. Watching her face, I could see her visable mental debate. Unconsciously I began to fidget with the sapphire and blue topaz pendant that I wore on a thin gold chain around my neck.  
  
Finally she turned her gaze up from the floor to mine, a look of exasperated surrender in her eyes. Inwardly I sighed in relief. I would have gone alone if I'd had to, but I hadn't really wanted to. She was one of my 'partners in crime' so to speak, and it wouldn't have been quite as much fun if I had gone by myself.  
  
"I'm probably going to regret going along with this insane scheme of yours, but all right, I'm in," she agreed reluctantly.  
  
"Great! Come on, let's get going!" I said, once again grabbing her arm and rushing down the corridor.  
  
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Casey muttered. I rolled my eyes.  
  
It only took us a few minutes to find the docking bay. Once we reached the hanger, we ducked into the shadows so as not to be seen by anybody. Trying to explain why we were *borrowing* one of the Coucil's transports and heading for Naboo would be really difficult, even for us, and quite frankly, I really was not in the mood for such stupid delays right now.  
  
Cautiously I poked my head around the corner, making sure the coast was clear. Then I turned back to Casey and gestured towards a small transport with an open ramp. She followed my gaze and nodded. Both of us had realized that we were able to actually use the Force, and I did so now, making absolutely certain that there wasn't anyone on board our chosen transport.  
  
Finally satisfied that we were safe from prying eyes, for the time being at least, I gave Casey the signal and we made a mad dash for the ship, sprinting up the boarding ramp and shutting it quickly behind us. Hurrying into the cockpit, I dropped into the pilot's seat and started to examine the control panel in front of me.  
  
Just then, Casey burst into the cockpit in a panic. I glanced up at her questioningly as she dropped down into the co-pilot's seat next to me.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked.  
  
"Ummm, I don't want to sound pushy, Fox, but I think we'd better hurry and get out of here now," she said, her voice taking on a strangely urgent tone.  
  
Now it was my turn to look confused. "Why?" I asked, not particularly liking where this conversation was most likely going.   
  
Suddenly we heard angry shouts coming from somewhere just outside and the sound of said extremely PO'ed someone pounding on the ship's sealed airlock door, trying to get in. "We've got company! HURRY UP!" Casey gasped.  
  
"All right, all right! I'm trying here! Ummm, okay, let's try this one," I muttered under my breath.  
  
Reaching out blindly, I pulled back on a random lever, hoping against all hopes that it was the one that would start the ship's engines. Unfortunately, I wasn't that lucky. I never am. Instead of starting the ship's engines, the ship lurched up on its side, nearly throwing us both to the deck.  
  
"Oh, crap! That's not it!" I screeched shrilly.  
  
"LAYLA!" Casey shouted, gesturing frantically out the front viewport.  
  
"Okay, why in blazes do they even *have* that lever?!" I muttered half to myself as I finally managed to steady the transport.  
  
"You know, sometime this CENTURY would be good, Layla!" Casey remarked sarcastically. 


	2. Chapter two

part 2 of "New Beginnings." Disclaimer in part 1.   
A/N: Layla was literally betrayed and abandoned by her family when she turned 18, so that kind of explains some of the stuff that's said here.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Yeah, I know! I'm trying here, ok? Geez, give me a break! Hey, do me a favor and try to find the coordinates for Naboo whilst I figure this crazy thing out," I replied.  
  
"Yeah, all right. How the hell am I supposed to do that?" she scoffed.  
  
"I don't bloody know! Check that starchart over there or something!" I suggested, gesturing towards the hologram that hovered in the air next to her.  
  
"Right," she agreed.  
  
While she was doing that, I went back to trying to get the ship off the ground. Sending out a prayer to the Force and whatever other deity that might have been listening to me, I pulled back on another lever, letting out a loud whoop of triumph as the engines fired up and and the transport rose into the air.  
  
"WOO-HOO! Yes!" Casey and I shrieked in unison as the darkness of space surrounded us, giving each other a high-five.  
  
"Did you find the coordinates?" I asked hopefully. If she hadn't, this was going to be one short trip.  
  
"Yeah," she answered, entering them into the nav-computer. I sighed in relief.  
  
A few moments later, an indicator light flashed on the control panel in front of me, alerting us that it was safe for us to take the ship into hyperspace. Casey and I exchanged nervous glances. Letting the Force guide me this time, I pulled back on another lever and a moment later the stars seemed to shift around us as we entered lightspeed.  
  
"All right! We did it!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, we're in the clear for right now, but what if they have a way of tracking us?" Casey said pointedly.  
  
I didn't answer for a long time, but instead gazed thoughtfully out the viewport at the darkness of space around us. The sight of it was almost hypnotizing if you stared at it long enough. I had to admit, Casey had a good point. It hadn't even occured to me until just now that the Council would have a way of tracking us down.  
  
Finally I spoke again. "Let's just hope not. We're doing this for a good cause, but I don't know if the Council is going to see it that way. If they do track us down before we get there, we're basically screwed as screwed can be," I said quietly.   
  
Neither of us spoke for a few minutes. The only sound to be heard was that of our breathing and the soft humming noise coming from the ship's engines. I couldn't stand it. The silence that had fallen in the air between us seemed far more deafening than even the shrillest of screams.  
  
"So what's your plan now?" Casey asked suddenly, her quiet voice startling me out of my reverie.  
  
I shook my head and glanced over at my friend. "Hmmm? What?" I muttered.  
  
"I asked you what your plan was," she repeated. I didn't answer for a moment, lost in my own thoughts again, but I was brought back to reality by Casey grabbing my arm a bit roughly. "You do have a plan, right?" she demanded.  
  
"Casey, Casey, Casey. Of course I've got a plan. Everything is totally under control," I assured her.  
  
She looked at me expectantly now, letting go of my arm. "Well what is it, then, Miss I've Got Everything Under Control?" Casey prompted impatiently, her tone becoming just a bit sarcastic.  
  
"The pit area just on the other side of those red shield walls," I said softly, mostly to myself.  
  
"What about it?" she asked, looking slightly confused for a moment.  
  
"We have to get there ahead of them. Everything depends on it," I replied quietly, as if this explained everything.  
  
"Okay? Would you mind expanding on that just a little bit here?" Casey asked.  
  
I sighed. "You remember that one part in the movie where they all got stuck behind those stupid red shields?" I asked.  
  
She nodded. "Eee-yeah. Why?" she said hesitantly.  
  
"All right. We'll simply slip past the shields, go around the pit, and find a place where we can conceal ourselves while we wait for them to show up. We let the scene play out partially the way it was meant to, just until Obi-Wan gets stuck behind the last shield. Then we'll jump in and distract Maul until Obi-Wan can get to us and slice Maul in half and send him hurtling down into oblivion. Simple as that. Good plan, huh?" I elaborated proudly.  
  
Casey just stared at me in stunned silence for a long time. The shocked expression on her face plainly said, *Have you lost your merry little mind?!* Finally she spoke, breaking the silence, reaching over and whacking me upside the head.  
  
"Hey, what the heck was that for?!" I demanded irritably, glaring at her as I rubbed the sore spot on my head where she had smacked me.  
  
"Layla, you've lost your merry little mind! You're out of your gourd. It's finally happened. You've snapped. That is the *stupidest* thing I've heard yet, can I just say that? Just out of curiosity, exactly how long did it take you to think that up?" Casey said bluntly.  
  
I gave her a wounded look. "I didn't hear you give any suggestions," I pointed out to her, pouting just a little bit.  
  
"Layla, this is a Sith we're talking about here. Just how long do you think we're going to be able to hold our own against him? You know just as well as I do that once we get involved in the fight, he's going to come after us too," she remarked.  
  
"Casey, I'm not going back on this. There's no way. It's too late for me to back out now. I told you that you didn't have to come with me if you didn't want to. You could have stayed at the Temple," I said, raising my chin slightly in a gesture of defiance.  
  
Casey rolled her eyes. "Okay, stop that *right* now. You are not pulling that 'I don't have a friend in the world' bullcrap again. It's really starting to get old. You think that just because you were betrayed and abandoned *one* time, you don't need anybody and you can take on the universe alone. Well I've got news for you. You can't. You aren't invincible, nobody is. Not even the Jedi," she snapped.  
  
Speechless, I stared at her for a long time, totally taken aback. Her words had struck a chord in my heart, and though I wanted to deny it, I knew I couldn't. But I still couldn't help thinking that she didn't understand what I had been through. I felt the sudden sting of unshed tears rising in my eyes and I turned away then, not wanting her to see me like that. I had never been one to cry in front of anyone else. To me, it was a sign of weakness and vulnerability, and I had felt that way far too much during the last two months. I couldn't afford to now, not with so much at stake here.  
  
Suddenly I felt her hand fall on my shoulder. I hesitated for a moment before turning back to face her.  
  
"Look, Layla. I'm sorry. I know you've been through a lot lately. I had no right to blow up at you like that. Truce?" she said apologetically.  
  
I nodded. "Truce," I agreed.  
  
"Good. Hey, do you want to spar for a while?" Casey suggested, obviously trying to cheer me up.  
  
"Sure, why not? Sounds fun. Just let me figure out how to put this thing on autopilot or something," I said.  
  
Casey glanced over at the control panel for a moment, then turned back to me and tapped me lightly on the arm. I looked over at her and saw the look she was giving me that clearly said, *You must be blind.*  
  
"What?" I asked, looking at her curiously.  
  
"Ummm, Layla? Look right there," she remarked.  
  
I followed her gaze and immediately felt like an idiot. Right there in the center of the control panel was a lever marked 'autopilot'. I laughed weakly as I felt my cheeks flaming with embarrassment.  
  
"Oh, ummm, hehe, right. I feel like a total dork now," I muttered as I pulled back on the lever.  
  
Casey rolled her eyes and smacked me upside my head again. I yelped in pain and glared at her, massaging my head where she had smacked me. She only started laughing hysterically.  
  
"Don't worry. You are a dork," she commented.  
  
"Hmph! Well, I'm glad to see that at least *someone* is getting some amusement out of my pain and apparent stupidity," I shot back sarcastically.  
  
"Here, have an emotional band-aid," she said, grinning like an idiot as we both stood up.  
  
I rolled my eyes at her. "Hey, that's my expression, you poop. If we live though this, remind me to disown you," I said jokingly as we headed for the lounge.  
  
"Huh?! You wouldn't really do that, would you?" Casey asked, startled.  
  
I laughed. "No, you know I wouldn't ever do anything like that. I may be an evil, vindictive little witch, but I'm not *that* mean," I reassured her.  
  
"Good," she said with a sigh of relief.  
  
We both came to a halt as we reached the lounge, and turned to face each other. Unhooking our lightsabers from our belts, we ignited them and the blades blazed into existence with a snap-hiss, mine a dark magenta, and Casey's a deep emerald green that instantly reminded me of the lightsaber that Qui-Gon carried.  
  
"Do you want to start, or do you want me to?" I asked.  
  
Casey shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. I think I started last time, so you can start this time if you want to," she said indifferently.  
  
I nodded. This was a classic thing with us. We had both constructed fake lightsabers a few months ago in a moment of sheer boredom, and we sparred with each other whenever we got together. We had a routine set of katas already worked out which I started now, taking a somewhat narrow swing at her with my blade, which she easily deflected.  
  
"Ha! You missed! You're getting sloppy!" Casey gloated.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Don't get cocky," I said, quickly dodging a swing to my midsection.  
  
"You're just jealous," she joked.  
  
Parry. Thrust. Feint. Dodge. "Me, jealous? Never. A Jedi does not get jealous," I countered playfully.  
  
She grinned as she aimed another blow towards my shoulder, which I blocked easily. We had been through this same set of katas at least a thousand times in the past, but now that we could actually use the Force, we were able to sense each other's movements before we even made them.  
  
"Of course. I stand corrected once again," she conceded.  
  
I laughed as I feinted a swing to the right and then went for her unguarded left side. But again, she blocked my move. Paraphrasing just a little bit, I repeated Yoda's oft-spoken phrase, doing my best impression of the dimunitive Jedi Master.  
  
"Jealousy leads to fear. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering," I said.  
  
Casey aimed a swing to my unguarded side, but I blocked her blade, twirling out of harm's way gracefully. Then I rushed at her again, deciding that it was her turn to be on the defensive now.  
  
"Do you surrender yet?" I taunted playfully.  
  
"Never! I will never surrender!" she said dramatically, dodging my swin before launching another counter-attack.  
  
"Then prepare to meet your end, Sith!" I shrieked.  
  
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine," she said calmly as she blocked another blow.  
  
"Oh that is just *such* a rip-off of one of Obi-Wan's lines," I remarked.  
  
She looked at me, unperturbed, as our blades met, hissing and sparking for a moment with the combined energy. I met her gaze, then pushed her backwards as I spun away. But Casey had quickly regained her footing and we went at each other again. 


	3. chapter three

Sorry this part is so short, but my dumb computer wouldn't cooperate with me. I'll try to put up more tomorrow if I can.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I was starting to tire, and I knew that I would have to end this soon. Pulling an evasive manuever, I made a somewhat sneaky move that was meant simply to disarm her. Coming out of a spin, I backflipped over her head, landing gracefully on my feet behind her. She whirled towards me, and in the split second that her guard was down, I brought my 'saber up and with one swift movement, knocked Casey's 'saber out of her hand, both of us watching in total amazement as the weapon clattered to the deck, sliding a few feet away from us.  
  
"Well, looks like I won this round," I gloated triumphantly, doing my trademark victory dance around the room as I shut down my 'saber, hooking it back onto my belt.  
  
  
TBC...MWA HA HA! R&R and let me know what you think. If you like it, I'll post more. Oh what the heck, even if you don't, I'll still put more up and you'll just have to live with it. So there. *Sticks out tongue* LOL!!!   
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


	4. Chapter four

Here's part 4 of this. hope you like it! Kudos to all who reviewed this so far! *grins*  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Casey stared at me in total shock for a long minute, rendered utterly speechless. Finally she regained her voice as she picked up her discarded lightsaber and deactivated the blade, hooking it back on her belt.   
  
"How did you do that?!" she blurted out, her voice becoming somewhat shrill.   
  
"Do what?" I asked peevishly, giving her my best innocent look as I stopped in my tracks and turned back to face her.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "You know what, Layla. That last move that disarmed me. You've never done that before," she answered.  
  
I shrugged. "I was starting to lose the upper hand, so instead of forfeiting the match, I decided to try to disarm you," I said simply as if this should have been completely obvious to her.   
  
"I don't know about you sometimes, girl," she said ruefully, shaking her head as we sat down.  
  
"I'm surprised you didn't see it coming," I commented.  
  
"What are you talking about?" she asked, a note of surprise in her voice.  
  
I shrugged again, looking at her seriously. "Didn't you notice that we were able to sense each other's movements before we made them?" I asked.  
  
Casey looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded. "Yeah, actually I did, now that you mention it," she said.  
  
Just then, we heard a loud beeping coming from the cockpit, indicating that we were ready to come out of hyperspace. Casey and I stood up, exchanging glances as we entered the cockpit and plopped down in the pilot and co-pilot's seats.   
  
"Coming out of lightspeed," I muttered under my breath, pulling back on a lever on the control panel.  
  
Once I had done so, the stars outside became normal again and the Trade Federation's blockade was just visible in front of us. We were still out of tracking range for the moment, but I wasn't exactly willing to take any more chances than we absolutely had to.  
  
"Look, there it is. Are you sure about this, Fox? How are we going to get past that?" Casey spoke up.  
  
I glanced over at her then, slightly annoyed that she had just managed to state the painfully obvious. I was about to say something to her to the effect of *thank you very much Captain Panaka* when a button on the control panel caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. It was labeled 'cloaking device'. A grin slowly crept onto my face as a new plan suddenly started to form itself in my twisted mind.  
  
Casey looked at me suspiciously. I think I was starting to scare her, if the feelings that trickled across our Force-bond were any indication at all. That really wasn't surprising to me though. I usually ended up scaring a lot of people with my insane impulsiveness.  
  
"Okay, I can just see the wheels in your mind turning. What is it now?" she demanded.  
  
I gave her a lopsided grin. "Trust me, Cas. I've got a plan. There's a cloaking device on here. We'll shield ourselves, land on the waterfall side, sneak into the hanger bay, and get to the pit area before the others," I explained, pressing the button that would activate the aforementioned device.  
  
"Cloaking device activated," said a rather prissy-sounding metallic voice. I rolled my eyes.   
  
"Oh, thank you *so* much for stating the obvious, you el stupida bucket of bolts." I paused for a moment. "Okay, good. Shields are stabilized and are up to full power. All right, let's go for it," I muttered.  
  
Taking the ship off of autopilot, I manuevered the transport around the blockade. Neither of us spoke, afraid that even the slightest noise might alert the Federation to our presence there. The tension in the air between us was so thick suddenly that it seemed almost tangible, and it didn't lessen any until I'd managed to land the ship undetected, albeit just a little roughly.  
  
"Okay, that was just a little *too* close for my comfort. Not too bad for your first landing job, though," Casey muttered.   
  
I nodded as I shut down the engines and pressed the button that would lower the boarding ramp. Then we stood up, checked to make sure we had our lightsabers and exited the ship cautiously.  
  
"Thanks, but yeah, no kidding. Has anybody seen my wits? I know I had them here just a second ago," I remarked, only half-jokingly as we secured the ship.  
  
Casey rolled her eyes and whacked me on the arm lightly. "Hey, this whole thing was *your* idea, not mine. If anyone should be freaked out right now, it's me," she commented.  
  
It was my turn to roll my eyes at her. "Oh, come on. Let's go," I said, taking off at a run with Casey following right behind me.  
  
~Please don't let it be too late~ I thought to myself.  
  
  
TBC...MWA HA HA!!!   
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


	5. Chapter five

Part 5 of "New Beginnings". I tried to type this earlier, but my stupid comp went dead, so I'm doing it now. Hope you like it!   
A/N: ~~ indicates private thoughts, and // indicates telepathy. This is where the sap actually starts. (i.e. layla+qui and casey+obi). Ok, on with the fic!  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Somehow we managed to slip into the hanger bay unnoticed. The doors leading to the generator pit were still closed. I sighed in relief as I realized that we'd made it there before the others. I quickly activated the doors and we took off again, taking care not to fall from the high catwalks. There was no way that either of us would ever be able to survive a fall like that.  
  
Once we had reached the melting pit area, we concealed ourselves on a somewhat narrow ledge just above the place where the two Jedi and the Sith would soon appear. I could feel my heart pounding wildly in the silence as time just seemed to stretch itself out into an eternity.  
  
"Are you all right?" Casey asked after a few minutes, nudging me lightly in the side with her elbow.  
  
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," I answered with more reassurance than I actually felt right then.  
  
For a moment I thought for sure that she was going to say something more about it, but she didn't get the chance to do so. I gestured for her to be quiet as the Jedi and the Sith finally showed up, all three of them trapped behind the red shield walls. Casey and I pressed ourselves further back into the shadows, using the Force to shield ourselves, lest they would be able to sense our presences there.  
  
I watched in morbid fascination as the shields opened again and Qui-Gon and Maul started fighting again and Obi-Wan raced towards them, finally getting stuck behind the last one. I found myself suddenly unable to move, frozen in place.  
  
But I came back to reality a few moments later as I watched Maul try to knock Qui-Gon off guard with a well-placed blow with the hilt of his lightsaber. I screamed as Maul started to impale him.  
  
"Hey you!" I yelled, startling Maul. He pulled the lightsaber out of Qui-Gon, the blade only having gone about half-way though him. "Yeah, that's right! I'm talking to you, tall, dark and stupid!"  
  
With that I leapt down from my perch, screaming a shrill battle cry, and landed on top of Maul, pinning him to the floor beneath me and knocking his 'saber away.  
  
Distantly I heard Obi-Wan's heart-wrenching outcry of anguished denial as Qui-Gon collapsed to the floor. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
  
"Casey, NOW!" I shrieked, quickly jumping out of the way as Maul called his 'saber back to him and stood up again.  
  
I went into a roll and scrambled out of the 'line of fire'. A moment later, Maul and Casey were locked in a heated battle. There was an angry fire blazing in my friend's dark brown eyes that I'd never seen in her before, not even in the few times I'd managed to accidentally tick her off in the extreme. I shuddered once. Then I heard her yell defiantly as I rushed to Qui-Gon's side.  
  
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you now, you stupid tattooed retard!" she shouted furiously.  
  
//Keep him distracted until Obi-Wan can get there. I'll see to Qui-Gon. The wound looks like it's a little deep, but I don't think it's fatal. I should be able to heal it. At least, I hope so anyway// I sent to Casey through our fledgling bond.  
  
She didn't speak, but I saw her nod her agreement out of the corner of my eye. Satisfied that she had been able to buy us at least a little bit of time, I turned my attention back to Qui-Gon. As gently as I could, I lifted his head into my lap, one hand resting lightly on his cheek, the other over the wound in his chest.  
  
Behind us I heard the sounds of the battle intensify as Obi-Wan rushed into the fray. I tried to block it out, instead focusing on drawing on the Force to heal Qui-Gon.  
  
Just then his eyes opened and he looked up at me in confusion. I felt myself starting to drown in those noble, mysterious sapphire blue eyes as our gazes locked.  
  
"Who are you? Where's Obi-Wan?" he asked.  
  
"Shhh, it's all right," I whispered. "He's fine. You're hurt, but you'll be oka I'm using the Force to heal your wound."  
  
He nodded almost imperceptibly and I felt him relax. Finding my calm center, I let the Force flow through me and into him, even drawing on some of my own life force.  
  
Through my own haze, I was vaguely aware at that moment of Casey shouting, "We did it! We did it!" over and over again triumphantly. I allowed the ghost of a smile to slowly creep onto my face and sighed in relief. 


	6. Chapter six

New Beginnings part 6. Sorry this is so short folks, again, my comp was being stupid and wouldn't let me upload the whole chapter together, so i'm having to do it like this.   
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Just when I thought I was going to collapse from drawing on to much of my power, I felt someone else's powers join with my own, creating an odd blue glow around us that seemed to fill the entire room with its light. I glanced up wearily and saw Obi-Wan kneeling on the other side of Qui-Gon, also with his hand over the wound. Casey was sitting next to me with her hand on my shoulder as she looked on.  
  
When we'd finally managed to get Qui-Gon stabilized, I let myself collapse back onto my friend, my head falling back against her shoulder, my breathing having become slightly labored from my efforts. To put it mildly, I was totally exhausted. I was only vaguely aware of Casey talking to me, though I didn't quite catch what she was saying, and Obi-Wan's grateful voice thanking us for our help.  
  
Making certain that my own heart wouldn't stop beating, I allowed myself to slowly drift gratefully into the blissful darkness of unconsciousness.  
  
  
  
TBC...MWA HA HA! Let me know what you think of it so far! Next part coming soon! Kudos!  
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


	7. Chapter seven

Here's part 7. Hope you like it!   
A/N: Neither me or my friend are really big fans of Anakin, so I apologize to all the Anakin fans out there for some of the parts in this chapter! *grins*   
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
When I finally awoke later, I found myself in what seemed to be the very same room that I'd been in when this whole thing had started out. But then I realized that we were still on Naboo. I glanced up and saw Casey and Obi-Wan sitting at my bedside, staring at me in concern. I tried to sit up, but they were having none of it. I felt Obi-Wan's strong hands push me back down firmly but gently into the pillows behind me.  
  
"Casey? Obi-Wan?" I asked, my voice somewhat raspy from lack of use, and I suddenly wondered how long I'd actually been out. Then I remembered the reason that we had come here in the first place and sat up again, much to Casey and Obi's chagrin. "Qui-Gon! Where is he?! Is he all right?!"   
  
I looked around almost desperately, suddenly fearing that the worst had happened, despite everything I had done to try to help. Obi-Wan smiled and reached over, brushing a few stray pieces of my auburn hair away from my eyes, soothing me.  
  
"He's all right, Layla. You saved his life and mine, both of you," he said quietly.  
  
I nodded, calming down as a sigh of relief escaped my lips. "You helped," I whispered.  
  
Before any of us could have the chance to say anything more, the door swished open quietly. A second later, a Healer dressed in white came in, followed closely by Qui-Gon, who leaned just ever so slightly on Amidala for support, one of her handmaidens, who I guessed to be Sabe, Jar Jar Binks, Captain Panaka, and Anakin Skywalker. I sensed Casey's intentions as far as Anakin was concerned, and I shot her a warning look.  
  
//No, Cas. You can't kill him here. There's too many people around. Maybe later, ok?//I sent to her through our bond.  
  
She pouted dejectedly for a moment, but complied. Instead, she contented herself with giving the 'little Sith brat' as we had deemed him, death glares that seemed to making the kid decidedly uncomfortable. I had the sudden sneaking suspicion that she was totally enjoying the fact that she was unnerving him. I shook my head slightly and rolled my eyes at her, giving her a *knock it off* look.  
  
Then I lay utterly still as the Healer approached me and allowed him to check me over. I watched as Qui-Gon suddenly stepped away from Amidala and moved to my other side, really looking none the worse for the wear, despite eveything that had happened. He was slightly paler than usual and seemed to be favoring his left leg, but other than that, he seemed to be all right. The wound in his chest was healed, leaving only a scar now, and although he didn't really let on, I think it still hurt him.  
  
He sat down in the chair next to the bed that Obi-Wan had just recently vacated, and rested his hand gently on my cheek. I leaned into the touch instinctively like a cat seeking affection. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Obi-Wan and Casey standing together, he with his arm wrapped around her waist almost protectively it seemed, and she with her head resting on his shoulder as they watched us.  
  
"So you're the young lady who saved my life back there. What is your name, little one?" he said kindly.  
  
"Layla. Layla Blair," I whispered shyly, my voice barely audible as I felt myself start to drown in those deep blue eyes once again. I gestured towards my companion. "And that's my friend, Casey Xavier."  
  
He leaned forward, wincing in pain for a moment as he did so. "Thank you, little one. It's a pleasure to meet you both," he whispered.  
  
Just then, Queen Amidala spoke up. "As soon as you're both up to it, there's to be a parade to celebrate our victory over the Trade Federation. It would be a great honor if you all attend," she said.  
  
Qui-Gon nodded. "Of course, Your Highness. It would be our pleasure," he replied.  
  
"Very well. We'll leave now so you can get some rest," she said, gesturing for the others to follow her out. I nearly laughed when I saw Anakin practically fly out of the room, apparently wanting nothing more right then than to just get as far away from Casey as was humanly possible.  
  
Finally realizing that the Healer was still there, I glanced up at him curiously. He was tall, about the same height and build as Obi-Wan, actually, with short brown hair and kind emerald green eyes.  
  
"Well, everything seems to be all right. It seems that you just depleted the majority of your strength when you were channelling your energy into Master Jinn here. You just need to rest for a while and you'll be just fine. I'll be back later to check on you. Just try and get some rest for right now, though, all right?" he said.  
  
I nodded. "All right," I agreed, feeling myself start to drift off again. My efforts to save Qui-Gon had obviously taken more out of me than I'd thought, because I was strangely tired again all of a sudden as the adrenaline left me.  
  
"Master, when is the Council supposed to arrive?" Obi-Wan asked as the Healer left the room.  
  
That innocent comment was *more* than enough to make me forget about my fatigue. My eyes snapped open and I nearly shot out of the bed completely, but instead I merely settled for sitting up far too quickly.  
  
Instantly, I found myself regretting that simple motion though.The room started spinning insanely and I became painfully dizzy-headed. Slowly I sank back down into my pillows and waited for the dizziness to go away, only vaguely aware of the pitiful little whimpering noise that I had made as I lay back down.  
  
Casey and I both looked at each other then, both of us knowing exactly what the other seemed to be thinking.  
  
//Oh holy crap on a stick. The Council?! That's it. Just shoot me now, please. We are going to be in *such* deep trouble// I sent to Casey, starting to really panic now, despite the Healer's oder that I stay totally calm and rest. Casey just gave me her famous annoyed look.  
  
//Gee, you think?! I know we're screwed. I knew it from the very start. This was all your stupid, idiotic idea in the first place, not mine. I tried to tell you, but would you bloody listen to me?! Hell no. Not you. I might as well have been bloody talking to a bloody room full of frickin' stone statues for all the bloody good it did me. You just had to be so bloody stubborn// she sent back.  
  
//Yeah, well, I didn't exactly here *you* insisting on staying behind, you know. Did I? No, so just do me a favor and shut up, just shut up. You don't have to bloody rub it in, okay?! Damn!// I shot back, more than a little irritated now.  
  
Just then I realized that Qui-Gon had been speaking to me. I shook my head to clear it and turned back to face him. He and Obi-Wan were both staring at us rather strangely. For a moment I wondered if they had possibly heard any of our telepathic conversation.  
  
"What? I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said just now," I replied.  
  
"Are you two all right?" he repeated, and I heard the concern in his voice.  
  
I sighed. "Well, Casey, you migh as well go on ahead and just tell them everything," I remarked, glancing over at her then.  
  
"Tell us what?" Obi-Wan asked, slightly suspicious. 


	8. Chapter eight

sorry it's short, the dumb computer hates me.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Casey snorted, making a weird derisive noise in the back of her throat. "Ooooh no! You can tell them. I'm staying out of this," she said.  
  
"Damned coward," I muttered under my breath, rolling my eyes.   
  
With a sigh of resignation, I quickly explained our situation to the Jedi. Neither of them said a word to interrupt me. When I finished, Qui-Gon spoke up, becoming lost in thought.  
  
"What must have happened is that a dimensional portal of some kind must have opened and brought you here," he mused.  
  
"Yeah, but how was it opened in the first place, and why?" Casey asked.  
  
"A dimensional portal? I've heard of such things, but I've never heard of any opening between our two universes before," I said. ~Except maybe in some of the fanfictions I've read,~ I thought to myself, but didn't bother to voice that particular thought.  
  
"I haven't either. Have you, Master?" Obi-Wan asked.  
  
Qui-Gon shook his head. "No. Something like this happening is practically unheard of. But you're both welcome to stay with us until we get this all sorted out," he replied.  
  
"Thank you," I said, glancing over at Casey, then back at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan when she nodded.  
  
  
  
TBC...Yet again...it's almost finished. The rest will be up as soon as possible, promise! In the meantime, R&R please! Kudos! ¦ Þ  
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


	9. Chapter nine

(A/N: Yes, I know time seems to pass like it's non-existent in my fics. But keep in mind that Layla was out for about a day or so on the first part of this chap.)  
  
  
Less than a day later, Qui-Gon and I were both released from the Healers. Thank God. I'd always hated hospitals. Quite frankly, the places just flat-out gave me the creeps.  
  
The Council had arrived earlier that day, and Casey and I were supposed to appear before them. I was scared out of my wits and Casey wasn't much better off, though she seemed to still be able to find the nerve to throw it up in my face that we were screwed, that this whole thing was all my fault, and that we would be extremely lucky if the Council didn't collectively kick both of our butts and banish us from the Order all together before we could even step one foot inside.  
  
Finally I couldn't take anymore of it and snapped at her. "Okay, Cas! I get the friggin' idea! Just shut up, okay?! Gah, I'm sick of hearing you tell me how bad I screwed us both over! Yeah, fine, it's all my fault. Everything always is, whether I'm involved in it or not. ARGH!" I shouted, throwing my hands in the air in disgust.  
  
"Well, it's true this time. It *was* your idea," she smirked.  
  
The arguement continued like this until we reached the Council's temporary chambers. I finally managed to get Casey to stop yelling at me for a while as we entered the room. I shuddered as I felt the gazes of all twelve Council members seeming to bore into me like a laser, and I shifted my weight slightly from one foot to the other, becoming really uncomfortable under their scrutiny.  
  
Casey and I offered the Coucil a slight bow, as if that simple gesture would make them be any easier on us. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the door shut as whoever they had posted as a secretary outside left the room, but I couldn't seem to lift my gaze from the floor, having become suddenly intrigued by the intricate tiles.  
  
I flinched as Mace Windu began to speak. Despite her earlier frustration with me, Casey gave me a sympathetic look and put her hand on my arm. That simple gesture gave me courage, and the next thing either of us knew, we were blurting out the whole story, and for some reason we left absolutely nothing out, not even my painful past.  
  
Finally, after about two hours explanations and debate, the Council finally agreed to allow us to stay at the Temple for as long as we wished and train to be Jedi if we wanted. Needless to say, I don't think my jaw could have fallen any farther from shock. But I was so totally relieved that it actually startled me somewhat. I think Casey was surprised too.  
  
After we left the Council, we headed back to the Palace and the rooms that we were going to be sharing with the guys. They were gone when we got there, so we decided to stay there and wait for them to get back. Casey dozed on the sofa and I stepped out onto the balcony, staring out at the beautiful landscape and letting the light cool breeze flow over me.  
  
For the first time in my life, I truly felt at peace, knew that I was finally safe where I belonged. I was finally home.  
  
I soon found myself getting lost in my thoughts. Everything seemed to just disappear around me then, leaving me there alone with that strange feeling of peace.  
  
  
TBC...MWA HA HA!!! I know this is short, but my muse is being less than helpful right now. I'll have the next part up shortly though if I can. In the meantime, R&R please! Sorry this post took so long. *Ducks objects hurled her way* Okay, I'll shut up now. Stay tuned to find out what's in store for the two heroines.  
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


	10. Chapter ten

I don't know how much time must have passed as I stood there, but I was suddenly startled out of my reverie by a pair of strong hands on my shoulders. I leaned back into that touch like a cat seeking affection, practically purring as I felt the last of my tension bleed away under Qui-Gon's ministrations.  
  
"Mmm. This feels wonderful. You give great massages," I purred.  
  
"I could feel your tension on the other side of the Palace," he said quietly.  
  
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against his chest. "Yeah, well, you can blame the Coucil for that. They certainly know how to stress a person out, don't they? I nealy had a bloody heart attack. I don't know how you can stand them half the time," I remarked dryly.  
  
Qui-Gon laughed, a deep rumbling sound that had an oddly calming effect on me. "Yes, that seems to be the highlight of their lives. Now you see why we're always at odds with each other," he replied.  
  
I nodded. "I understand exactly how that is. My family and I were always at odds with each other before..." I hesitated for a moment, holding back tears. "Before they abandoned me. It was all planned," I whispered as the tears started to fall.  
  
Qui-Gon wrapped his arms around me and held me close to him as I cried, resting his chin gently on the top of my head. Just having him there with me brought me a little bit of comfort, and I wasn't really surprised that a bond had started to form between us. I wondered idly if he'd noticed it yet.  
  
"Shh. It's all right. It's all right, little one. Let it out, I'm here. I won't leave if you don't want me to," he whispered soothingly.  
  
I shook my head slightly. "No, please. Stay with me," I said, hardly aware of the pleading tone in my voice.  
  
"All right, I'll stay," Qui-Gon replied softly.  
  
"Thank you. Maybe I'll tell you what happened one of these days. It's just too painful right now. It's only been two months," I said.  
  
Qui-Gon placed a kiss on the top of my head and led me back inside. Night had fallen, and it had grown considerably colder outside. Casey was awake by now, and she and Kenobi were sitting on the couch, talking. Casey kept giving Anakin that evil glare of hers. He looked like he was trying to keep as much distance between himself and Casey as was humanly possible. I shook my head.  
  
"Hey, guys," I said quietly, wiping away the last traces of my tears.  
  
"Oh, hey Layla," Casey said as Qui-Gon and I sat down. "I was just telling Obi-Wan that the Council agreed to let us stay and become Jedi."  
  
I glanced over at Anakin and saw him turn pale. Somehow I managed to keep from laughing and rested my head on Qui-Gon's shoulder.  
  
"The Council has also granted us permission to train Anakin," Qui-Gon said.  
  
At that, I sat up and Casey and I exchanged glances.  
  
"What?! Really?!" Anakin exclaimed excitedly.  
  
If the circumstances had been different, and had I not known what he would become in the future, I might have actually felt happy for the kid. But as it was, I only felt an almost overwhelming sense of despair at that particular train of thought. I quickly pushed it aside before Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan could notice it, though.  
  
"Yes, you will become a Jedi, Anakin. I promise," Obi-Wan said.  
  
//Layla?//  
  
//Hmmm? What?// I sent back to Casey.  
  
//Are you all right?// she asked.  
  
//Yeah, I'm fine. Why?//  
  
//You sure?//  
  
//Yeah, I'm sure. I was just thinking about something, that's all// I offered as a lame sort of excuse.  
  
//Thinking about what, Layla?//  
  
//Nothing. I'll tell you later, ok?//  
  
//All right.//  
  
I sighed in relief, grateful that she had just left the conversation at that. I leaned back and closed my eyes. But just as I was starting to drift off, I heard the others cry out in surprise. I yelled, too, at the bright flash of blue light that I saw even through my closed eyelids.  
  
  
  
TBC...MWA HA HA!!! It's almost finished! Yay! But whilst you're waiting, R&R this part and let me know what you think so far!  
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


	11. Chapter eleven

Chapter 11:  
[A/N: Layla tends to like to say bloody a lot when she's angry, so that's why it's used so much here.]  
  
  
My eyes snapped open and I jumped up from the sofa, my lightsaber in my hand and ignited in an instant. I stood there, on the defensive, as I let my gaze wander around the room, my sleepy light brown eyes seeming to take in nothing and everything at the same time.  
  
"Relax, young one. I am not a threat to any of you," came a quiet voice from somewhere behind me.  
  
I whirled around quickly and saw a tall, ghostly figure hovering there, behind the couch. He wore a dark blue cloak, the hood pulled up. He reached up and lowered it in a slightly dramatic gesture, revealing his short dark hair and mysterious emerald green eyes. He seemed almost familiar, somehow, but I couldn't quite place it.  
  
Slowly I lowered my lightsaber, but did not deactivate it. I was only vaguely aware of my friend's voice breaking the unnerving silence that had suddenly and inexplicably fallen down in the air between us.  
  
"Who are you?" Casey asked.  
  
I barely registered the fact that she had even spoken, instead continuing to stare at the stranger until he finally offered an answer.  
  
"Who I am is not important. What is important is that I have come here to offer you both a choice," he said kindly.  
  
Suddenly the realization dawned on me. "Wait! You're the one who brought us here, aren't you?" I blurted out before I could even stop myself.  
  
He chuckled, the sound of it seeming almost comforting in a way. He seemed somewhat grandfatherly to me in the moment, despite his young appearance.   
  
"Yes, I brought you here," he replied.  
  
"Not that either of us are complaining here, but why?" Casey asked.  
  
He hesitated for just a moment too long before he finally said, vaguely, "I heard your wish to prevent certain events from happening." He glanced over at Qui-Gon, who kept his expression carefully neutral, then looked back at me.  
  
"That was nearly three years ago. Why wait so long? Why bring us here now?" Casey remarked.  
  
He turned to face her then, an expression of something almost like regret etched into his sharp features.  
  
"I had to wait until just the right moment came along," he responded, his voice barely more than a whisper.  
  
I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "What do you mean, until just the right moment?" I asked cautiously, suddenly afraid of hearing the answer.  
  
A quiet sigh escaped him. "Had I brought you here too soon, it would have been nothing short of a complete disaster. And..." his voice trailed off.  
  
"And what?" I prompted him almost impatiently.  
  
He sighed again and bowed his head. I felt my chest tighten painfully and a sinking feeling of dread suddenly seeped its way into the deepest depths of my soul. I had the feeling I knew what he was about to say, and I tensed.  
  
"And...though I am loathe to admit it, I...foresaw what was done to you. I knew that your family was planning to betray and abandon you on your eighteenth birthday," he confessed.  
  
I stood there in stunned silence, completely frozen, unable to even speak, much less move. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  
  
Finally I managed to regain my voice. "You knew? YOU BLOODY KNEW?!" I shrieked, my voice becoming so shrill that it grated on even my own nerves.  
  
"Yes, I did," he answered sadly.  
  
I tried to hold my anger in, I really did, but it was becoming increasingly difficult by the moment. "Unbelievable! Un-friggin'-believable! If you knew, why in blazes didn't you come to me before?! Do you have any idea what I've bloody gone through the last bloody eighteen years?! No, I'd suppose you bloody wouldn't!" I ranted, only becoming even angrier by the moment. I tried to calm myself, but it was all in vain.  
  
He didn't even flinch, which only made it that much more infuriating. "It was not my place to interfere, young Layla," he said, as if this explained everything. "Besides, would you have believed me?" he added as an afterthought.  
  
That was when I just lost it all together and very nearly literally exploded. As it was, I only exploded metaphorically, giving him an unamused laugh. "Oh, it wasn't your place to interfere. I see. Well, then tell me something, oh powerful whoever or whatever you are. Just what the bloody hell gave you the 'right to interfere' now, you stupid son of a bitch?! GET OUT!" I shouted furiously, starting to tremble.  
  
He nodded just ever so slightly, but the gesture seemed to me to be more of a mocking bow. I growled angrily low in my throat, but said nothing more for a minute.  
  
"Very well. But before I leave, let me tell you my proposition," he replied.  
  
I made a derisive noise in the back of my throat. "I'm not really interested in hearing anything more that you have to say to me," I said miserably.  
  
I sat back down on the couch next to Qui-Gon, unshed tears coming to my eyes unbidden. I stared at the floor for a long time, suddenly finding the carpet extremely interesting, and welcoming the strong arms that encircled me and pulled me closer, holding me almost protectively it seemed.  
  
"I need to know what you have decided. Do you wish to stay here, or return to your home? If you choose to stay, I will alter things so that those who knew you before will have absolutely no memories of your existences," the stranger said, continuing as though he hadn't even heard my last comment.  
  
I looked up at Qui-Gon, then over at the intruder, my gaze like ice. "There's nothing left there for me now. My place is here. I choose to stay," I answered quietly, my voice becoming very cold.  
  
He nodded again. "Very well," he said, then turned his attention to Casey. "And your decision, young one?"  
  
Casey hesitated, and for a moment I was afraid she was going to say that she wanted to leave. It was bad enough that I would end up losing my best friend who had always been like a sister to me once everything was said and done. I didn't want to lose Casey, too.  
  
"I'll stay, but on one condition," she said as she stood up.  
  
"What condition?" he asked. She whispered something in his ear that I didn't catch, and he nodded. "Done."  
  
He muttered something in a language that I had never heard before, then offered a quiet, "Farewell, young ones. May you find the happiness you seek." Then he simply faded away as though he'd never even been there.  
  
  
  
TBC...still! MWA HA HA!! It's almost finished, I swear! I know, I keep saying this, but I keep getting plot bunnies for it. But I will have the ending up as soon as I can, I promise.   
Oh, btw, I had you all going there for a while on the last chapter, didn't I? You thought they were going to be zapped back, didn't you? But nope, I'm afraid the guys and the rest of the galaxy are going to have to put up with these two loonies a lot longer. ::Force help them:: LOL!! ::Grins:: Sorry this took so long. Oh, and the Video Series is working again, so go check out that one and my others too, ok? KUDOS!!!  
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


	12. Chapter twelve

Chapter 12:  
{A/N: Sorry this has taken so long. Have mercy on me. ::Looks pitiful::}  
  
I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he was finally gone. I felt my tears slide in silvery streaks down my face. I tried to hold them back, but it was no use. I couldn't do it.I'd held them back for far too long already, and it was just too much now. I turned away, not wanting the others to see just how utterly wretched I was at that moment.  
  
"Are you all right, Layla?" Obi-Wan asked.  
  
Qui-Gon glanced down at me, concern shimmering in those stormy blue eyes. I smiled, deeply touched. "Are you sure you're all right, love?" he asked.  
  
I nodded. "I will be in time," I answered reassuringly as I allowed him to wipe away the tears. Then I turned to Casey, my curiosity at her comment of some kind of condition having finally gotten the better of me. "Hey, Casey. What did you ask that jackass spirit or whatever in the hell he was to do?"  
  
She didn't answer, but instead she turned towards the still-open balcony door. She whistled, and a moment later, two adorable mutts that I would have recognized anywhere came running into the room, barking and wagging their tails happily as they ran over to us. The larger of the two had brown eyes and beautiful golden fur, while the other was considerably smaller with nearly black eyes and pretty black and white fur.  
  
"Yogi! Stella!" I yelled cheerfully. Stella jumped up on my lap, putting her paws on my shoulders as she started to lick my face. I laughed. "Whoa, Stella! Down girl, down! Yes, I'm happy to see you too!" I shrieked.  
  
Meanwhile, Casey was petting Yogi and murmuring to him. "Hey, my little golden boy! Whatcha doing, huh? Yes, I love you too. Come here, you little varmint," she said affectionately.  
  
Qui-Gon reached over and gently scratched Stella on the head. "You certainly have beautiful dogs," he said.  
  
"Thanks," Casey said.  
  
I handed Stella over to Qui-Gon and said with a laugh, "Here, you take her for a while. I'm going to go see if I can find something to eat around here. I'm starving. Does anyone else want anything while I'm up?" as I stood up and headed for the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah, sure. Might as well see what there is," Casey said with a shrug.  
  
"I've got a better idea. Why don't we go out tonight? I overheard someone earlier talking about a resturant that's supposed to be good. It's only a short distance from here," Obi-Wan spoke up.  
  
"Dude, that's the first good suggestion I've heard all night," Casey said.  
  
I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and as long as we don't have to walk there, believe me, I'm all for it," I replied.  
  
Qui-Gon shook his head. "No, we'll take an air taxi," he said.  
  
"Oh, okay. That works. Oh, and by the way, I'm calling dibs on using the shower first," I said.  
  
"That's fine, because you need it," Casey smirked jokingly.  
  
"HEY! That was cold!" I shrieked, smacking her on the arm playfully. "Besides, look who's talking?!" I added.  
  
She gave me an innocent look that I wasn't buying into for a moment. "Meow? What? You totally set yourself up for that one," she pouted.  
  
"Okay, now you're just mocking me, aren't you?"  
  
"Me? Mocking you? No, gee, you think?" she joked.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "All right, that did it! You want a piece of me? Bring it on, chica! We'll take this out into the parking lot and I'll kick your butt!" I remarked, making a 'bring it' gesture.  
  
"Umm, Layla? There is no parking lot," Casey said, pointing out the obvious.  
  
"That's beside the point. I'll find one, and then I'll kick your butt," I replied serenely.  
  
She shook her head. "Yeah, sure. Okay, whatever Layla. You couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag with a lightsaber," she commented.  
  
"Oh, be quiet. You're just jealous," I said jokingly, whacking her upside the head with one of the cushions from the sofa.  
  
She gave me a wounded look and I laughed as I headed for the bathroom, closing the door behind me.  
  
  
  
*Ok, here's the next chapter, in all it's corny glory. LOL. Layla and Casey tend to go at each other like that throughout the whole fic. ::looks innocent:: Hey, I had to put some humor in there somewhere to lighten up the angsty mood. ::grins:: Sorry this took so long to post. I'll have the next chapter up asap. I promise! ::ignores doubtful look from my muse::  
~*Celestia Vitaria*~ 


	13. Chapter thirteen

Chapter 13  
  
Sorry this has taken forever to get up.  
  
Yami: You're still at this one? (sighs)  
  
Be nice to me.  
  
Yami: You don't know when to quit, do you?  
  
(Cheerfully) No. On with the fic! I really hope all my faithful reviewers haven't given up on this one yet. Okay, shutting up now.

_Chapter 13:_  
  
Later that night, I wandered out to the courtyard alone, still clad in the garnet red evening gown that Amidala had let me borrow for the occasion. I hadn't even bothered to take my hair out of the curled up-do that I had put it in earlier.  
  
There was a slightly warm breeze in the air that tugged gently at my clothes and hair. I looked up, my gaze fixed on the stars that sparkled brightly in the sky overhead like rare diamonds in a beautiful, never-ending tapestry of the finest black velvet. Off in the distance somewhere, the cry of a wild bird broke through the peaceful silence of the night.  
  
I walked over to the shimmering stream that flowed through the courtyard. Taking off my shoes, I lifted the hem of the dress slightly so as not to get it wet and stepped into the water that went just up to my ankles. The coolness of it as it slipped by me felt absolutely wonderful, and I let out a soft sigh of contentment.  
  
Closing my honey-colored eyes, I tilted my face upwards to the heavens and reached out with the Force. The gentle but constant hum of life in the air had a soothing effect on me and I wrapped it around myself, allowing it to surround me like a protective cocoon.  
  
Just then I heard someone's voice calling my name softly from the shadows behind me. I opened my eyes and, turning towards the voice, found myself staring up into the familiar sapphire blue eyes of Qui-Gon Jinn. I blushed a faint pink color, then offered him a slight smile.  
  
"Hi," I whispered quietly.  
  
"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" he asked.  
  
I nodded my agreement as I stepped out of the stream, letting the skirt hem trail to the ground again. Then I slipped my shoes back on and walked over to where he stood. A small, quiet sigh escaped me as I felt him wrap his arms around me. I returned the embrace, laying my head down on his broad shoulder.  
  
Suddenly, before I was even truly aware of just exactly what I was doing, I got a bit of a bold streak and did something that I had been wanting to do ever since I had first gazed into those sapphire depths. I reached up, laying one hand gently against the side of his face and pressed my lips to his. It was a light, questioning touch at first, but then it became deeper, almost searching as I started to lose myself in that fiery combination of honey and spice.  
  
There was a brief moment before we pulled away when I could have sworn that I had felt him kiss me back. And it was in that fleeting moment that we were like the earth and sky, two very different elements slowly melding together until the two of us became one.  
  
But the spell was broken all too soon as we pulled away from each other and I was left very nearly breathless in the aftermath. I glanced up at Qui-Gon and saw the look of shock in his eyes, almost as though I had caught him off guard. Perhaps I had done just that when I'd kissed him.  
  
"Layla...?" he said quietly, finally breaking the tense silence between us.  
  
I shook my head and turned away from him, trying not to cry. "I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.. I don't know what came over me," I stammered, my voice barely audible.  
  
He placed his hand on my shoulder after a moment and turned me back around gently to face him. I wouldn't meet his gaze, though. I couldn't. I was too afraid of what I would see in those far-too expressive eyes of his. Loathing? Disdain? I didn't know, and I wasn't entirely certain that I really wanted to know.  
  
"Perhaps it's love," he replied.  
  
"What?" I asked softly.  
  
He merely smiled warmly as he tilted my face upwards. Then his lips captured mine in a kiss that was both searing and tender at the same time. I stiffened in shock, then relaxed, practically going limp in his arms. I felt that same soul-shattering surge of Force-power flood over me as it surrounded us in its protective cocoon. I moaned softly into the kiss, any coherent thought taken from me for a few moments.  
  
We finally pulled away again, and I suddenly felt the link that had started to form between us become stronger. I glanced up at Qui-Gon, a little startled. I reached out to touch the bond tentatively, trying to guage his reaction. A flash of surprise flickered in his eyes for just a brief second, and then it was gone just as quickly as it had come.  
  
"Wow, that was incredible. Did we..." I started to say, a little breathlessly, before my voice trailed off.  
  
"...Form a Lifebond?" Qui-Gon finished.  
  
I nodded. "Yeah," I whispered, somewhat shyly.  
  
For just a brief moment, I felt him brush against my end of our bond. It was a small, feather-light touch, but it caught me off guard just the same, and I jumped in his arms, startled.  
  
"I think we have," he replied, his tone conveying his surprise as he retreated from my mind.  
  
"I thought so," I said, my voice a barely audible whisper now.  
  
His expression became serious, but there was still a trace of something in his eyes that I couldn't quite place. "If we are soul-bonded, then..." he started.  
  
"There is no going back. I know," I interrupted, taking his hand in mine and holding it against my chest. "I'm fine with that, though. This is going to sound crazy, but...please, just hear me out before you judge me, okay?" He nodded, and I continued before I could lose my nerve. "I...I'm drawn to you. I have been ever since the first time I saw you. I feel safe around you, like nothing and no one could ever harm me. I...I guess what I'm trying to say is that...well...that I...I love you," I replied, staring into his sapphire eyes.  
  
He didn't say anything for a long moment. Time seemed to freeze as I waited for him to speak. Condescension, affirmation, anything at all would have been better than this tense silence that had fallen down in the air between us.  
  
Just when I thought I could take no more of the suspense, Qui-Gon finally spoke, breaking the deafening silence. "I love you too, Layla, my angel," he whispered.  
  
Tenderly he caressed my cheek, his calloused hand suprisingly soft and gentle. I couldn't help the purring noise that came from me, as I leaned into that sweet, loving touch like a cat seeking affection. I sighed happily to myself as he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead and I felt his arm wrap itself around my back protectively, almost possessively, but I didn't mind. I gave the stars above us one last wistful glance, then allowed Qui-Gon to lead me back into the palace, leaving behind the quiet serenity and beauty of the gardens where I had fallen in love for the very first time.  
  
_To Be Continued...I am so sorry this took so long. I lost this one for a little while and have been working on some other fics too. I have a couple other chapters to this, so I'll try to get them up tonight, tomorrow at the latest, hopefully. This chapter is just some fluff between Layla and Qui-Gon. Please R&R, and no flames, please. I really hope no one has given up on this fic, it just took me a while to update. And I hope this chapter was worth the wait. And I'll try to get the next part of the karaoke fic up as soon as possible too. Well, ja ne, minna-san!  
  
Ryou and Bakura's Princess _


	14. Chapter fourteen

Chapter 14  
  
Okay, here's the next part of this. Yes, I'm finally getting around to updating it.  
  
Yami: You just won't quit will you?  
  
No. (Puts duct tape on his mouth)  
  
Yami: Mmmmmmmpppphhhh!!!!  
  
Same to you. Now, on with the story.  
  
_Chapter 14:_  
  
The next morning, we all headed out fairly early to make it in time for the celebration of Naboo's victory. The five of us were to ride in on a large float, hailed as heroes. I was excited and extremely nervous, almost to the point of feeling nauseaous aall at once by the time we had arrived. Qui-Gon had apparently sensed this, because he reached over and placed his hand lightly on my arm in a comforting gesture, and also-I'm sure-to try to help still my trembling. Our eyes met, Qui-Gon offering me a slight but genuine smile, and became just a little less uneasy about this whole thing.  
  
"Relax, angel-love. It's a victory parade, not a death march," he replied jokingly, his eyes sparkling with amusement.  
  
I blushed. "Cheeky. I know that. It's just that..." I started.  
  
"Just what?" Qui-Gon asked softly.  
  
"I...it's just that..well...I'm just not used to having a lot of attention drawn to myself like this. I've always been completely ignored by all but a few people in the past, you know? I've always been just another faceless nobody in the crowds," I said, offering him a slight shrug. Then I gestured towards the huge crowds that had gathered as we all boarded the float. "But this...it's just a little bit unsettling to me, that's all."  
  
"What about when you used to go up on stage at that one place and perform?" Casey pointed out.  
  
I shook my head. "The crowds were never this large. Besides, that's all in the past now, anyway," I replied, a little sadly. At the guys' confused looks, I explained, "I used to do a few singing gigs back home. I never got paid anything, but just being able to lose myself in the music and forget just how much I hated my life was payment enough. I loved it."  
  
"I'd love to hear you sing," Qui-Gon whispered.  
  
I shrugged. "Maybe some other time, love."  
  
He never got a chance to answer, for just then, the float started to move, and my anxiety rose once again. I glanced over at the others nervously. Casey and Obi-Wan stood together with their arms around each other. Anakin was half-way leaning over the edge with a goofy grin on his childish face as he waved to the crowds.  
  
"Wow, this is so wizard!" Anakin said excitedly.  
  
I just smiled faintly and shook my head at his antics. It struck me as being very hard to believe that someone so seemingly sweet and innocent would eventually turn into an evil, sadistic monster that would almost destroy the entire galaxy.  
  
After a few more minutes of this, we reached the end of the parade route. The float finally came to a stop and Qui-Gon jumped down, followed by Obi-Wan and Casey, then Anakin. I hesitated for just a brief moment, then leapt down into Qui-Gon's waiting arms. He put me down gently, and then we made our way up the steps to take our places on the platform with the Queen.  
  
Anakin and Amidala smiled at each other as the music stopped. Boss Nass and Jar Jar joined us on the platform, both of them waving to the crowds. Amidala and Boss Nass offered each other a slight bow, and then Governor Sio Bibble stepped forward and handed the Queen what looked like a glowing crystal ball. She took it and gave it to Boss Nass. The Gungan leader took it from her and held it up in the air for all to see.  
  
"Peace!" he called out, and the crowds burst into loud cheers and applause.  
  
I glanced over at Casey and grinned like an idiot as we gave each other a high-five when no one was looking. "We did it! We actually did it!" I whispered excitedly, relieved that this whole mess was finally over.  
  
Or so we all thought.  
  
_To Be Continued....you all thought this was the end, didn't you? (cheeky grin) Not quite, there's more insanity to come for these two girls. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up tonight. I apologize if this was kind of short, but my muse wasn't really being very cooperative. (Sigh) Next chapter a secret is revealed that will put Layla's life in danger. Please R&R! No flames, please. Constructive criticism welcome, but mindless flames like 'this sucks!' will be ignored and ridiculed. Anyway, until next time, ja ne, minna-san!  
  
(Ryou and Bakura's Princess)_


	15. Chapter fifteen

Chapter 15  
  
Okay, here's the newest chapter.  
  
Ryou: Go ahead. Bakura and I took care of Yami.  
  
(Yami is tied up, with duct tape still on his mouth)  
  
(Glomps Ryou and Bakura) Arigatou! Now, on with the fic!  
  
_Chapter 15:  
_  
After the parade, I slipped away from the chaos of the celebrations unnoticed, wanting only to be alone for a little while. Something had been bothering me since this morning, and I had the strangest feeling all of a sudden that things were only just beginning. I shook my head as I wandered down one of the more hidden paths of the palace gardens until I ended up back at the same stream that I had been standing in the night before.  
  
With a sigh, I dropped to my knees at the very edge of the stream. Again that sense of peace flooded over me despite my sudden nervousness, so I closed my eyes and let myself drift so to speak.  
  
Suddenly I sensed another presence close by. I ignored it at first, hoping that whoever it was would go away and not bother me, but they didn't leave and my curiousity had started to get the better of me. I opened my eyes and turned around. The figure who was standing less than ten feet away from me with his back facing my direction made my blood run ice cold.  
  
It was Chancellor Palpatine.  
  
I stifled a gasp and stood up as quietly and quickly as I could, relieved that he obviously had not taken any notice of me yet. I ducked behind some thick foliage, watching him from between the branches of the flower bush that I had chosen to hide behind. I had to get out of there, and fast. I glanced around desperately, searching for an escape route that would lead me back to the palace unnoticed.  
  
A moment later, I finally found what I was looking for, a path off to the left that was almost completely under the cover of the surrounding foliage. I was just about to make a run for it when Palpatine started to speak, freezing me in my tracks.  
  
"Well, well. It would appear as though I'm not alone out here. Come on out, my dear girl. I won't harm you," he said with false reassurance.  
  
I wasn't about to buy into it. I shrank back further into the shadows as I heard his footsteps coming closer and closer to my hiding place. I glanced back at my escape path desperately. If I was going to run, it would have to be now or never, but I couldn't move. I was totally frozen to the spot. It was as if he had me trapped in an invisible spider web.  
  
Suddenly he reached into the bushes and grabbed my arm. I screamed shrilly in fear as I was pulled roughly out of my concealment and out into the open. I struggled wildly, twisting and thrashing in his hold as I tried desperately to pull away from him, but I couldn't. His grip was far too strong.  
  
"Let go of me, you murderer!" I shouted. "Qui-Gon! Someone! Anyone! Please, if you can hear me! Help me!"  
  
"Shut up, little one," he hissed, tightening his grip on me to the point of being painful and holding me against him so I couldn't escape. I shivered as those eyes bored into mine and stared stubbornly at the ground. "So, you're the one who interfered with my plans. You and that meddling friend of yours. Well, no matter. I should destroy you now, but I think I'll keep you around for a while longer, my dear. You seem to have some knowledge of the future. You may yet be of some use to me. A fiery spirit like you will make an excellent replacement for that worthless idiot Darth Maul," he sneered, grabbing my face roughly with his other hand and forcing to meet his icy gaze.  
  
"I'll never join you!" I spat defiantly.  
  
I waited until his face was only a few inches away from mine. Then I reached up with my free hand and scratched him just below his eye, hard enough to draw blood. He yelled in pain and his grip on me loosened just ever so slightly, but he didn't let go of me. I hissed in frustration and kicked him in the groin as hard as I could. This time he did let go of me, doubling over in agony.  
  
Seeing my only chance to get away from him, I bolted. I ran back along the hidden path that I had found when I was hiding in the bushes as fast as I could, high-tailing it back towards the palace. I didn't stop running until I had reached the safety of the suite that I shared with Casey and the guys and was inside with the door shut behind me.  
  
I collapsed back against the door, letting out a sigh of relief. I was safe for now, but I had to do something. I had to tell somebody about what had just happened out there, but who? I didn't know if anybody would even believe me, but as hard as Palpatine had gripped my arm and my face, I was sure that I had the bruises to prove that I was not lying about the entire ordeal.  
  
Just then I glanced up and saw Qui-Gon standing in front of me, his blue eyes filled with concern. Relieved, I practically flew into his arms, shaking like a leaf in the wind and crying almost hysterically as he held me in his arms. I buried my face in his chest, trembling wildly.  
  
"Layla? Are you all right? What happened, angel?" he asked.  
  
I shook my head. "No, I'm not all right. Palpatine attacked me, out in the courtyard. He's the one who sent Darth Maul to kill you and Obi-Wan. Please, you have to believe me," I explained, on the verge of hysterics.  
  
"The Chancellor attacked you?" Qui-Gon asked.  
  
"Yes," I answered. "We're all in danger. Please, believe me!"  
  
"Shh, it's all right. I believe you." That was when he seemed to take notice of my bruises. "Where did those bruises come from? Did he give you those, too?"  
  
I nodded, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. "Yeah, he grabbed me when I was hiding in some bushes," I replied.  
  
Suddenly I heard the door open and almost jumped through the ceiling. I looked back over my shoulder and relaxed a little bit when I realized that it was only Casey and Obi-Wan.  
  
"Don't ever sneak up on me like that again, okay?" I said, pulling away from Qui-Gon just ever so slightly.  
  
"Oh my God, Layla. What happened to you?" Casey asked.  
  
"I was out in the courtyard and Palpatine attacked me," I explained, moving to sit down on the couch.  
  
"He attacked you? What reason could he possibly have...?" Obi-Wan started, shocked.  
  
I merely buried my face in my hands for a moment, then looked up at him, my honey eyes haunted. "Because he knows that we-that Casey and I-know who he really is and that he was the one who sent Darth Maul to kill you and capture the Queen. He's after me now because he wants me to replace Maul as his new apprentice," I replied, my voice barely more than the mere ghost of a whisper now.  
  
"That's impossible. Isn't it?" Obi-Wan said, glancing over at Qui-Gon.  
  
Casey glared at him and smacked him on the arm. "Shut up, Kenobi," she said irritably.  
  
"Don't you see it? He's a Sith. This whole 'noble politician' charade of his is nothing more than that. It's just an act to cover up his real scheme. The longer he's allowed to continue it, the more powerful he'll become. If he becomes too powerful, it will be the end of us, the end of the Jedi, and the end of peace in the galaxy. He'll destroy everything," I answered, my tone becoming urgent now.  
  
_To Be Continued....okay, this part was a little longer, and chapter 16 will probably be a little longer in coming, because I have yet to write it. But I promise I'll try not to take too long. (Ignores doubtful look from my muses) Old Palpy boy's secret is out and this will put Layla in more danger than she bargained for. You'll have to come back when I have the next part posted to see what happens. Please R&R and NO FLAMES. Ja ne, minna-san, until next time! ()  
  
(Ryou and Bakura's Princess)_


End file.
